How to Throw a More Sustainable Kid's Birthday Party
- Marie-Clare Anderson
- Sep 17
- 7 min read
Have you ever been to a children’s birthday party and winced at the amount of waste that gets thrown away. I frequently do, it makes me want to cry every time a bin bag is filled up to the brim with paper plates, food waste and plastic all thrown in together, and don’t get me started on party bags!
But you’ll be pleased to hear it’s not hard to have an eco-friendly kids party! Children's birthday parties can be fun and memorable without generating mountains of waste or spending a small fortune.
As a family, we have and go to, a lot of parties throughout the year - my kids' favourite type of party always seems to be those that are thrown in the garden, in a park or the woods - and yes that includes November and February!
If everyone comes wrapped up suitably for the weather, kids will have fun no matter what the weather throws at them (even if the adults do freeze!)
With a few simple swaps and a mindset shift, you can throw a party that’s kinder to the planet and easier on you.
Here’s my go-to guide for planning a more eco-friendly party:
Borrow, Don't Buy : Use a Party Kit
Before buying paper plates, plastic cups, or one-time-use decorations, check if your area has a Party Kit Network. These are reusable party kits filled with colourful plates, cups, cutlery, serving trays and more. They’re ideal for kids’ parties (bright and fun rather than breakable or fancy), and often free or available for a small donation.
You save money, avoid unnecessary waste, and save yourself the post-party bin overload. Check out Party Kit Network to find your nearest one.
Rethink the Party Bag
Party bags are often filled with plastic toys that break within hours and end up in landfill. Instead, consider one thoughtful, useful, or edible item for each guest:
A homemade biscuit or cookie (you could even decorate it during the party)
A small packet of Smarties or sweets
A set of colouring pencils
Fruit or marshmallow kebabs
A second-hand book from a local charity shop (you child can even choose one specifically for each of their friends!)
I tend to go with the biscuit or sweets option as this is what my kids prefer, but all these alternatives are lower waste, more meaningful, and likely to last longer (or be just as satisfying) than a plastic yoyo or one of those horrible squishy things that get covered in dust and dirt!
Keep food simple (and likely to get eaten!)
Kids are often far more interested in playing than eating a lot of food. Keep food unfussy and low-waste:
Offer finger foods that won’t spoil quickly — like fruit, crisps, sandwiches and simple snacks. Buy big packs or tubs of snacks, rather than individual packs.
Make big jugs of squash or water instead of buying loads of individual drinks. Or ask parents to bring their child's water bottle with them - this is what we tend to do for our parties. This cuts down plastic waste, avoids spillages and is much cheaper.
If it’s winter, ask everyone to bring a flask of hot chocolate and you bring a bag of marshmallows - the kids will be delighted!
Let the birthday cake be the dessert! Skip the jelly and ice cream — one treat is enough, and the cake is more likely to actually be eaten.
Ask parents what sandwich their child likes — one of my friends did this recently and I thought it was a fab idea! She prepped them to order and wrapped them in foil. The kids loved the idea of a picnic and got what they liked! Less waste, less mess, and all the food gets eaten.
When it comes to the cake – we can’t forget that, can we? Order enough for a small slice for everyone. Kids are usually so excited at parties that they don’t eat much anyway.
Or, why not flip the tradition and just serve cake? That’s what I do at all my kids’ parties – it means everyone actually eats and enjoys it! Yes, a beautiful cake can feel like a big expense, but it’s the thing the kids will remember. They won’t think back to the crisps, biscuits, or sandwiches you put out. In fact, when you add up the cost of all those extras, it probably comes close to the price of the cake. So, skip the snacks and let the cake take centre stage!
Activities that are fun AND free
You don’t need expensive entertainers or fancy equipment to keep kids happy — in fact, the simpler the better.
Here are a few low-cost, low-impact activity ideas that, from experience, work just as well:
Biscuit decorating: Put out plain biscuits, icing, and sprinkles — it’s a fun activity and snack in one!
Pass the parcel: Wrap it in leftover newspaper or magazine pages or kids’ artwork. Choose a prize that’s useful or sustainable — like a book, pencil case, seed packet, small bar of chocolate or even one of those 100’s of cars your kids have lying around the house!
Classic party games: Musical bumps, musical statues, duck-duck-goose, Simon says — zero cost, maximum energy burning.
Twister, hula hoops, skipping ropes and ball games: Dust off what you already have, or borrow from neighbours. Or grab a football, rounders bat or tennis rackets and have a few games of sport - this is definitely one of my boys favourite party activities and mine - sooo much better than being stuck in a hall with lots of noisy energetic kids!
Nature-based fun: Meet in the woods or a park and let kids build dens, go on a scavenger hunt or simply explore. Nature is the best party venue. My daughter had a great party last year doing just this and said it was the best she’d had! I bought hot-chocolate to warm everyone up and a snack and they had a super time!
Turn your party into a mini-mad-scientist lab! Set up a table with bowls of simple, safe ingredients like bicarbonate of soda, vinegar, natural food colouring, fizzy water, seeds and dried flowers and let the kids go wild mixing and experimenting. They’ll love the freedom to create their own “potions” and watch the fizzing, bubbling reactions. Just make sure you do this one outside (or somewhere easy to clean!)
Ditch the balloons and choose reusable or recyclable
Wherever you can, swap disposables for reusables:
Please think twice about having balloons — they’re single-use and can be harmful to wildlife. Try fabric bunting, hand-drawn posters or reusable banners or pom poms instead.
The kids have a great time making their own decorations for their party. Take a look at second-hand options, there are bound to be lots on sites such as ebay, vinted or your local facebook site.
Presents: Quality over quantity
Rather than lots of small gifts that may be forgotten or unused:
Suggest a group gift or voucher so the child can choose something they really want - this is usually the route we take in our household - the kids get to go to the toy shop and choose one decent item rather than have a house of presents that, yes, may give instant gratification, but are soon forgotten.
Consider re-gifting quality toys or books in great condition - my son is a book worm so being gifted a second-hand book makes him just as happy as if it were brand-new.
For guests, gently encourage second-hand or handmade gifts.
Kids don’t need loads of new things to feel celebrated — just something thoughtful and special. If it’s wrapped my kids are happy!
What about the invitations?
Are digital invites actually better than paper ones?
It’s a question that I continually battle with! At the moment I am taking the digital route. The reason being, that while sending digital invites does use some carbon (because emails are stored and transmitted via energy-using servers), the footprint is much smaller than paper invites — especially once you factor in:
paper production, printing, envelopes and stamps, transport via postal service and potential waste (if the invite ends up in the bin)
PARTY TIME!
For most people, digital invites are still the greener option, especially if you’re inviting a big group. Use free tools like Paperless Post, Canva, or just a WhatsApp group - my usual choice and super easy and quick, as you tend to have all your kids' friends' parents saved in your phone already.
Alternatively, if you want to make it personal and crafty, a few handmade invites on scrap paper (I always find we have lots of blank paper in the back of the kids' school books at the end of the school year). This can be a sweet way to get your child involved while still limiting waste
Clear up consciously
Don’t forget the clean-up! Set up clearly labelled bins, buckets or bags (recycling, compost, landfill) so you can sort waste easily. Get the kids involved — they’ll love helping, and it teaches them to care about the impact of their fun.
Final Thoughts: Less Fuss, More Fun!
A sustainable birthday party doesn’t mean doing less — it just means doing things a little differently.
Rather than being driven by consumerism, think about the memories that are being made on the day.
By simplifying the day, thinking creatively, and focusing on what really matters (fun, connection, and a big slice of cake!), you can throw a party that’s better for the planet, your wallet, and your peace of mind.
Have you tried any of these ideas? Or have your own low-waste party hacks? I’d love to hear them — drop them in the comments below!
Planning a low-waste, planet-friendly party? Use this handy checklist to stay on track.
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